Situation in Syria getting tougher for Turkey

Turkey feels it has been deserted by its allies in Syria and left alone in its efforts to dislodge the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from the town of al-Bab near the Turkish border. This is what we understand from a briefing for journalists last week by the military on the progress of Turkey's operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria launched on Aug. 24. 

The military went further and said the delay by the U.S.-led coalition to move against the ISIL stronghold of Raqqa has enabled ISIL to concentrate on its fight against Turkish and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces in al-Bab. 

Washington in fact declared openly in November that it would no longer support Turkey's move on al-Bab. This decision did not come out of the blue. Concerns about Ankara's ultimate intentions in northern Syria have been voiced by the United States since Turkey launched Euphrates Shield. 

Ankara did not make it a secret that its intention is not only to defeat ISIL, but also the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is allied to the U.S. but which Turkey says is a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Turkey also says that after it captures al-Bab, it will move on to the town of Manbij, which was captured over the summer by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) composed mainly of YPG fighters. The aim of capturing al-Bab and moving on to Manbij was underlined forcefully again by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the weekend. 

Washington clearly does not want to see this happen because it would not only pit the Turkish military against the YPG, but also leave the U.S. facing a military standoff with Turkey that is bound to have serious repercussions.

As to the argument that...